Once upon a time, a man visited his aunty. During their sharing of niceties, the aunty informed her nephew saying ‘You see, though it is embarrassing to tell you, your cousin sister is not alone’. The gentleman retorted, ‘aunty, it is never by accident. It is not that something suddenly sprung up and got her injured’. Similarly, poverty does not come to one from thunderbolt. The poverty of Nagaland State today is man-made and not natural calamity. The natural calamities used to attack nations suddenly, and in such event even the most advanced nations like Japan or USA used to be helpless. Whereas, the present financial calamity which is very alarming is the very creation of the authorities running the affairs of the State. The crisis is Made in Nagaland, Manufactured by DAN and not imported from New Delhi. This calamity is knowingly, wilfully and conveniently created solely due to GREED. The responsible authorities, be it politician or bureaucrat tend to function as autocrat in the form of aristocracy in Nagaland. Just as illegal tax is unabated, corruption in Nagaland is unabated. These people do not do what do they preach.
On 15.7.2014, I read the news items containing the cohesive attacks of former CM of Nagaland Mr. Rio and the present CM of Nagaland on UPA as Nagaland was ‘discriminated’ and ‘neglected’ due to which the State is now facing financial crunch. Both the leaders are the best among equals having immense talent and ability to lead the people. So, in their wisdom, the best method to please NDA is to cast aspersions on the previous UPA Govt. Who, in Nagaland, will be unhappy with such strategic attack works and convinces NDA to rescue the State from the financial crisis. Only BJP knows how convincing are those criticisms made against Congress by the two top leaders from Nagaland. Only BJP knows who is the culprit for the financial crisis when the two leaders passed the buck to UPA. Also, only BJP knows how Nagaland with overflowing liabilities will draw serious and sympathetic attention of the Union Govt. with such attempts.
We all know that so much money was given to Nagaland from 2003 to 2013, generally speaking. What NPCC stated that huge funds were given to Nagaland by UPA against CSS schemes is true beside other allocations. Yet, the more we received the deeper is the financial crisis. The cake is eaten already and now the giver is blamed by the cake eater.
Will the exposition of our ungrateful nature gain sympathy of BJP? Will such thanklessness cover up mismanagement of our finances landing the State in between the Devil and the Deep Sea?
Who am I to advise anybody? Yet, when the leadership talks, states and presents, it should always contain realism, practicability, transparency and rationalism with his 19 lakhs population always in mind. I considered such attack to be shallow lacking ethical culture and opportunistic too. Such mindless attack on UPA after having enjoyed to the hilt for more than a decade is bereft of creditability and rationality. Who in the world does not know that Nagaland State is popularly unpopular for its corruption. Let NDA give fund or let it not give, yet our creditability should not be mortgaged.
God bless Nagaland.
Z. Lohe